Curtain-stretcher.



No. 632,867. Patented Sept. I2, I899. H. A. BOOK.

CURTAIN STBETGHEB.

(Application filed Feb. 6,- 1899.)

No Model.)

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WITNESSES: W m M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HELENA A. BOOK, OF IVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. DOOLIT'ILE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CURTAINESTRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,867, dated September 12, 1899. Application filed February 6, 189 9. Serial No. 704,728. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern: frame the parts are held together as against Be it known that I, HELENA A. BOOK, a displacement by means of pins 5, passed citizen of the United States, residing at W'athrough the clips and the ends and sides of terbury, in the county of Fairfield and State the sections 1 2. 6 are also clips similar to 5 of Connecticut, have invented certain new the clips 4, but in their upper portions emand useful Improvements in Curtain-Stretchbracing the sides of the frame and overlapers; and I do hereby declare the following to ping the same, so as to slide freely thereon, be a full, clear, and exact description of the while in the lowerportions of these clips is invention, such as will enable others skilled held a cross-piece 7, which of course extends 10 in the art to which it appertains to make and underneath the frame. These clips 6, carry use the same. ing this crosspiece 7, are normally adjusted, My invention relates to certain new and so as to extend athwart the sections 1 2 at the useful improvements in curtain-stretchers, point where they are hinged together, so that and has for its object to provide a device of the frame will he stiffened and prevented I5 this description in which the hooks that hold from collapsing at that point, and pins 8 are the curtain shall be capable of a sliding adpassed between these sections down through justm ent,while the stretcher-frame itself may the clips 6 into the cross-piece 7, whereby the be readily taken apart and put together and latter will be held in such adjusted position. at the same time be capable of folding for the I prefer to provide bolts 9 on top of the sec- 2o sake of convenience when not in use. tions 1 2, while sockets 10 are secured upon lVith these ends in view my invention consuch sections for the purpose of accommodatsists in certain details of construction and ing these bolts, the object of this construccombination of parts, such as will be hereintion being to still further stiffen the frame at after fully set forth and then specifically desthe point of hinging, while at the same time 25 ignated by the claims. the bolts may readily be drawn out of the In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is way whenever the clips 6 are displaced for an elevation showing my improvement susthe purpose of permitting the folding up of pended from an ordinary line and with the the sections 1 2. The side pieces of the seccurtain stretched thereon; Fig. 2, an elevations 1 2 are perforated from top to bottom 30 tion showing myimprovement in folded conat various places, as shown at ll, so that the dition; Fig. 3, a section at the line :20 5c of Fig. end pieces can be moved along the same and 1, with the upper bolts omitted; Fig. 4, a secsecured in various adjustments by means of tion at the line 3 y of Fig. l, and Fig. 5 a dethe pins 5 for the purpose of accommodating tail perspective of one of the clips. curtains of different lengths, while the end 35 Similar numbers of reference denote like pieces are perforated from top to bottom at parts in the several figures of the drawings. various locations, as shown at 12, so that the My improved stretcher-frame is made of sides may be contracted more or less and held sections 1 2, hinged together at their middle in suchcontracted position by means of said or abutting portions by means of plates 3, pins 5 to accommodate curtains of different 0 1 0 which are pivoted near their extremities to widths. -The upper and lower faces of the opposite sides of these sections in any ordiside and end pieces of these sections 1 2 are nary manner, so that said sections may be provided with grooves 13, andI employ hooks easily folded, as shown at Fig. 2. The cor- Whose body portions 14 embrace the inner ners of each section are held together by edges of these side and end pieces and extend 5 5 means of clips 4, each formed of a single piece within said grooves, so as to be capable of a of sheet metal, the upper and lower portions free sliding movement therealong, while the of such clips being in reality housings that spur portions 15 of said hooks extend inare disposed in opposite directions, so that wardly. the side and end pieces which compose the In utilizing my improvementthe curtain is I00 50 sections 2 may be held in their proper rectanfastened to these spurs, the latter being adgular relation. At the four corners of the j usted so as to grasp the curtain at suitable locations, and after the side and end pieces of the sections 1 2 have been properly adjusted the curtain is allowed to dry in this position. Should it be discovered that during the process of drying the curtain was being improperly drawn or distorted, the hooks may be readily disengaged and shifted to other and more proper positions prior to again engaging with the curtain, so that it will be readily understood that myimprovement possesses what might be called a universal ad a v and capable of sliding freely therein and having grooves in their upper and lower faces,

justment.

I attach suspension-hooks 16 to the frame at suitable locations, so that such frame may be hungupon an ordinary line 17 for the purpose of facilitating the drying.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a curtainstretcher, the combination of the two sections each composed of side pieces hinged together at their inner ends and end pieces adjustably secured to said side pieces at the corners, said side and end pieces provided with grooves in their upper and lower faces, the movable clips supported on said side pieces and overlapping the same, the cross-piece carried in the under portions of said clips,a pin passed through said cross-piece and clips whereby the latter may be held in a position overlapping said side pieces at their point of hinging,'and the hooks having body portions which embrace the inner edges of said side and end pieces and which extend within said grooves, said hooks also provided with spurs which pro= ject inwardly from said body portions, substantially as set forth.

2. In a curtain-stretcher, the combination of the clips 4 having upper and lower portions disposed in opposite directions, the side pieces formed in two sections, the plates pivoted at their ends to the lateral edges of said side-piece sections whereby the latter are hinged together, the end pieces, said side and end pieces housed within said clip portions the clips supported by said side pieces and with their upper portions overlapping said pieces and capable of free sliding movements therealong, the cross-piece supported within these last-named clips and capable of a sliding movement therein, a pin whereby said cross-piece and the last-named clips are secured in position with the latter overlapping the side pieces at their point of hinging, the pins whereby the side and end pieces are secured in their several adjustments, and the hooks having body portions which embrace the inner edges of the side and end pieces and ext-end within said grooves and provided with spurs which extend inwardly, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HELENA A. BOOK. Vitnesses:

ALBERT P. BRADSTREET, ROBERT A. LOWE. 

